[ayaghmour2]

After making my second round pick, there was one player I really wanted and one my scout really wanted. The player I wanted went with the first pick in the 4th Round (Lou Jayson), so I decided that I'd let my scout make this pick for me as there really wasn't much that stood out. I know 100% I will take a pitcher with my next pick (6th Round), but no idea who that will be. I'm expecting a college arm as most of the prep arms left are really bad. Nearly every player on my shortlist has been taken, but there is a certain college senior I have my eye on.

But first, the senior my scout wanted. That would be 22-year-old Chris Smith, the first basemen for four season at Liberty College. It was a shock Smith wasn't select last season, as he hit .406/.502/.584 (187 OPS+) with 8 homers and 47 RBI's. He returned for his senior season, and it did not quite meet expectations. He had 7 homers and 34 RBI's, but with a .302/.374/.480 (118 OPS+) batting line. All told, the half-Italian Smith played in 200 games for the Bells and hit .333/.407/.504 (144 OPS+) with 25 homers and 156 RBI's. His 269 career hits is the most in school history and he ranks top 5 in many other categories. For Smith to succeed in the big leagues, he'll have to tap into his power potential and continue to develop the bat. We're really top heavy when it comes to first base options as both Leo Mitchell and Jim Hatfield (our top two 1B prospects) are expected to start in AA and AAA. As crazy as it sounds, Smith is actually older then both of those guys (2 years on Mitchell!) and he has yet to take a professional at bat. There's very little competition in the lower minors specifically at first, but guys like Harry Mead and Freddie Bennett may take some time away from Smith. There's really no first basemen in A, B, or C ball, so Smith will more or less control his climb up our system.